New York (HRNW)– The Catholic Church has agreed to settle not dozens but more than 1,300 victims of sexual abuse through mediation, in what experts are calling the largest financial church scandal in American history.
According to the church, it is trying to raise $300 million to pay victims, by cutting costs, reducing staff and selling properties.
The cases span from 1952 to 2020 and include serious allegations of child sexual abuse by priests and church staff.
The victims’ lawyer, Jeff Anderson, says the New York Archdiocese has approved negotiations on a hefty settlement over the next two months.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the Catholic Church has once again apologized to the victims, calling the case a “shameful and dark chapter” in the history of the church.
Experts say the total payout could exceed $880 million — the same amount paid to victims of the Los Angeles Archdiocese in 2024, overseen by the same judge who is now mediating the New York case.
The church says the case is complicated by the fact that its insurance company, Chubb, is refusing to pay claims for sexual abuse under old policies.
The church now has “no way out,” according to attorney Jeff Anderson, as the case is shaping up to be one of the largest and most serious sex scandals involving religious institutions in the United States, and could set new records in the coming months.
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